SEATTLE, July 28, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fuse Venture Partners, founded by General Partners Kellan Carter and Cameron Borumand, launched today to invest in Seattle-based, Seed and Series A companies that are reinventing the modern economy with software.
Joining Fuse's founding team is Venture Partner and Seattle Seahawks captain Bobby Wagner, as well as Senior Operating Partners John Connors and Satbir Khanuja. Nader Naini, Managing Partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners, and Gary Rieschel, Founding Managing Partner at Qiming Venture Partners, will be senior advisors to the fund.
"Home to two of the most impactful technology companies in the world, Microsoft and Amazon, Seattle sits at the epicenter of the innovation driving enterprises' digital transformation efforts," said Kellan Carter. "There's a booming, untapped and thriving ecosystem of emerging entrepreneurs in the region. Fuse is thrilled to provide this next generation of innovative Seattle companies with an equally innovative venture platform to grow with and support them for decades to come."
Kellan and Cameron both hail from Ignition Partners, a 20-year-old, early-stage enterprise software-focused venture capital firm. Ignition has been an early and significant backer of some of the largest outcomes in enterprise software including Docusign, Splunk, Cloudera, Heroku, Zenprise, Parse, Xamarin and Xensource. As the youngest partner at the firm, Kellan was responsible for backing several return-driving deals for its most recent fund, including Icertis, the leading enterprise contract management platform and Seattle unicorn. Cameron was promoted to Principal at Ignition after only two years, and as a University of Washington alum and the son of immigrant parents who built a life in Seattle from the ground up, his Pacific Northwest roots run deep.
Fuse's partners include many current and former executives at the PNW's top companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, Starbucks, Costco, T-Mobile, Avalara, Evergreen Gavekal, DocuSign and Smartsheet. "Our goal was to bring on partners who are committed to investing not just their capital but also their time and experience in helping our portfolio companies grow," said Cameron Borumand. "It has been humbling and exciting to see the Seattle business community step up to support Fuse and this region in such a meaningful way."
A dedicated team with unrivaled connections
Having been captain of the Seattle Seahawks for many years, Bobby Wagner is renowned both on and off the field for his tenacity and business acumen. His personal deal experience spans famously negotiating his own contract last year – making him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league – as well as investing in several early-stage companies. During the last three off-seasons, he worked closely with Kellan, Cameron, John and Satbir at Ignition.
"I have enjoyed these past three years getting to work with this high-energy team. Their hustle is unmatched, and their focus is always on the entrepreneur," said Bobby Wagner. "We each bring a wide range of experience and vast networks of diverse, local connections that uniquely position us as the best partner for companies reimagining and reinventing how work is done - and we can't wait to get started."
As Operating Partners, John Connors and Satbir Khanuja will provide unique support to Fuse portfolio companies through their wide networks and business growth expertise. John brings a storied 30-year career in enterprise software, having served in roles such as Partner at Ignition, CFO, CIO and head of the Worldwide Enterprise Division at Microsoft and on the boards of Nike and Splunk. Satbir likewise spent seven years on the Amazon leadership team under Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, and nine years as CEO of Ignition portfolio company, Datasphere Technologies.
"Having worked with the Fuse team while at Ignition, this is the beginning of something special for the Seattle software community," said John Connors.
About Fuse Venture Partners
Fuse Venture Partners is an early-stage, venture capital fund investing in Seattle-based Seed and Series A companies that are reinventing the modern economy with software. Fuse Venture Partners is committed to supporting the next generation of B2B technology entrepreneurs building category-defining businesses of lasting value. Founding partners Kellan Carter and Cameron Borumand are joined by Venture Partner and Seattle Seahawks captain Bobby Wagner, as well as Senior Operating Partners John Connors and Satbir Khanuja. The strategic LP base includes current and former executives at the Pacific Northwest's top companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, Starbucks, Costco, T-Mobile, Avalara, DocuSign, Smartsheet and many more. For more information about Fuse Venture Partners, please visit fusevp.com.
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SOURCE Fuse Venture Partners
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